Just What I Needed
by Penelope L
Summary: When Zoe is thrown into House's life, House throws her into Cuddy's. KidFic.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Boredom got the best of me, so I found myself in front of my computer. Enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I only own Zoe, not House or the PPTH staff. :[

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What the hell was he supposed to do with a kid, he could barely manage himself. Social Services. He picked up the phone and dialed to the directory and waited while they connected him to the Social Services office. He listened to the machine, of course they were closed for the weekend, and of course they were closed for Columbus Day. Great, he had to spend the next three days with the kid...or there was Cuddy.

"What's your name?" He asked, looking up from his phone to the kid, the lady who brought her had told him but that didn't mean that he remembered.

Like every other domesticated four-year-old, the little terror sat squirming and looking around his office, she immediately looked up at him when she heard him question her. "Zoe" She said and looked up towards the ceiling to investigate that further.

"Zoe" He repeated quietly to himself, he wasn't much for contemporary names but Zoe seemed to fit this kid. Very tiny for her age, probably taking after her mother, she looked even tinier in the thick yellow coat she was wearing to protect her from New Jersey's weather. Her dark brown curls were confined in a matching yellow toboggan leaving only a few ringlets to be left around the collar of her jacket. Her hanging legs were swinging back and forth clad in jeans and Converse sneakers, much like House. Also like House, she had those sparkling blue eyes, radiating with curiosity.

"Come on, kid." House said, holding the door open for her to follow her out. Zoe jumped down from the chair quickly and grabbed hold of House's left hand as they walked down the hallway.

"You know how you wanted a baby?" House asked after throwing Cuddy's office door open, approaching the desk with Zoe hanging on to his hand.

Cuddy didn't have to look up to know who was in front of her desk, she had played this game a million times before.

"Yes." She answered, continuing with her paperwork, determined not to look up.

"Here." House said, very easily sitting Zoe on Cuddy's desk. Zoe looked up at him with wide eyes before turning around on the desk to face Cuddy.

"What did you do?" Cuddy asked, looking up to see a child on her desk. In fact, a very cute child, one with curly hair and House's bright blue eyes.

"Relax, I didn't kidnap her. She's my cousin's kid, he and his wife died in a car accident so they gave her to me. Now I'm giving her to you." House said, turning a little towards the door.

"House, you can't just give me your kid." Cuddy said, desperately trying to get him to take her back.

"No, no, no." House said, shaking his finger at Cuddy. "She's not my kid, no takesie backsies. You're the one that is always whining about wanting one, just take this one. She already sort of looks like you, she's young, she's perfect, and if you don't want her then I'm signing her over to the big SS on Tuesday morning." He said.

Cuddy's eyes widened as House left. "Hi." She said to the girl in front of her.

"Hi." The girl repeated shyly.

"I'm Lisa, what's your name?" Cuddy asked sweetly.

"Zoe." Zoe said.

"Zoe, that's a pretty name. How old are you?" Cuddy asked.

"Four." Zoe said, proudly showing Cuddy four fingers on her hand.

"Four? Wow." Cuddy said, smiling at the child.

"Are you my new mommy?" Zoe asked curiously, putting her hand back down.

Rationally, Cuddy should have said no, but her heart got the best of her and she found herself wishing to be the mother of this beautiful little girl.

"Yes." Cuddy said. Cuddy never made impulsive decisions, like the one she just made, but maybe not acting on impulses was why she didn't already have children.

"Here, will you color me a pretty picture?" Cuddy asked, getting Zoe crayons that she'd almost forgotten about out of her desk drawer and a few sheets of paper. Zoe nodded her head and moved over to table in the corner, where she took off her coat and hat, and she began coloring on the paper. "I'll be right back, okay? If you need anything, my assistant is right outside." Cuddy said, leaving her office.

House was throwing his thinking ball up in the air when Cuddy burst into his office, he knew that she would come. She was way too maternal to deny a kid, especially a little one.

"You better not be kidding about the offer." Cuddy said fiercely.

"I'm not, you can have the litt--" House began.

"Zoe." Cuddy corrected, cutting him off with a glare.

"Right, you can have her. I'll sign anything you need, whatever." House said, proceeding to throw his ball into the air, trying to shake off the massive turn on of that glare of hers.

"Thank you." Cuddy said, truly meaning it.

"No problem, I didn't need the little sadist cramping my style." House said, shrugging it off.

Cuddy rolled her eyes and left his office to head back towards her own where her daughter was waiting.

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_A/N: This is mega-easy to write, should I continue? I know the whole kid idea has been done a hundred times but they're just so much fun to write, plus I love Cuddy around kids and I especially love House around kids. Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed it. I apologize for it being kind of short, but if I proceed I promise it will be more structured and longer. :] **Review**_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: This takes place about two months after Cuddy adopted Zoe. I don't really like awkwardness so I decided just to jump right into the whole thing. I hope you enjoy it._

_Diclaimer: See chapter one if you care that much.

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"You know the point of me giving her to you was so that I didn't have deal with her all of the time." House said to Cuddy as he watched Zoe bounce his thinking ball.

"Two hours at the most." Cuddy said.

"Ask Wilson." House said, focusing on his computer.

"Believe me, it's the first place I went." Cuddy said.

"Can't you just take her with you?" House asked.

"No, it's my first board meeting since I've been back." Cuddy said.

"I have a case, you know." House said, looking up at Cuddy.

"Zoe loves you, please?" Cuddy pleaded.

"The parasite barely even knows me." House said.

"Great, this gives you a chance to bond." Cuddy said.

"Do I have to entertain her?" House asked.

"She's four." Cuddy said.

"Is that a yes?" House asked.

Cuddy rolled her eyes and handed him Zoe's little backpack. "There's a snack in here if she gets hungry, if the meeting runs into lunch, make sure she eats healthy. I packed her coloring books, her crayons, and a few toys, you shouldn't have to go out of your way to entertain her. In case you do, try not to let some of those annoying qualities of yours rub off on my daughter." Cuddy said.

"There's nothing annoying about me." House said, pretending to be appalled.

Cuddy rolled her eyes and bent over to kiss Zoe on the forehead. "Be good for Uncle House, okay?" Cuddy asked.

"Okay." Zoe said, bobbing her little head up and down.

"I mean it House, don't teach her anything that will get her in trouble." Cuddy said on her way out.

"Bye, mommy." Zoe called after her mom. After the door was closed, Zoe looked up at House expectantly.

"What?" House asked, feeling her eyes on him.

"Do you wanna play?" Zoe asked.

"You've gotta be kidding me." House said, running his hand over his face.

"Please?" Zoe asked, looking up at him with her laser blue eyes.

"Fine." House sighed. "What do you want to play?" He asked.

"We could play Simon Says." Zoe offered.

"I get to be Simon. I'm the cripple here, I don't need you telling me to hop on one leg." House said gruffly.

"Okay." Zoe said, shrugging.

"Alright, Simon says hold your right arm up." House said broodily.

Zoe held her right arm up and awaited further instructions.

"Hop on your left leg." House said, hoping that he would trick her so they could end the game.

Zoe kept her right arm up in the air but didn't move her left leg.

"Wow, you're good." House said sarcastically, getting Zoe to beam. "Okay, now for the extreme, Simon says walk to the Nurse's station and get me a lollipop." House said.

Zoe looked at House with wide eyes before eventually turning around and looking out at the Nurse's station only to open the door and retrieve House a lollipop.

"This isn't red." House said, spinning the green lollipop that Zoe had given him in his hand.

"You didn't say that it had to be red." Zoe said.

"Yeah but I thought you knew red is my favorite." House said.

Zoe shook her head, her cute curls bobbing along.

"Well I can't eat this. Simon says skip back to the Nurse's station and get me a red lollipop." House said.

Zoe rolled her eyes in a Cuddy-like manner and turned to skip back to the Nurse's station, leaving House to wonder how she had already gotten down Cuddy's signature eye roll.

"Very good. Now, Simon says sit down quietly and color a picture." House said, unwrapping the red lollipop.

Zoe immediately pulled her coloring book and crayons out of her bag and began to color.

"Simon also says to stay in the lines." House added as an after thought.

Zoe looked back down at the page and started to concentrate more on staying inside of the lines.

House rested back into his recliner, this whole kid thing was easy.

"_House!"_ Cuddy said angrily.

"What?" House said, opening his eyes.

"You fell asleep." Cuddy said as she put Zoe's crayons back into the box.

"Relax, she's fine." House said.

"How would you know?" Cuddy asked.

"Because she's standing there and she looks exactly the same as she did before I fell asleep." House said, rolling his eyes.

"I colored you a picture." Zoe said, handing House a picture of some Disney Princess that he couldn't identify.

"Right, I would talk to the kid about peer pressure and I would probably avoid cults." House said, folding the picture away and tucking it into his pocket.

Cuddy looked at him confused and put the rest of Zoe's toys away into her backpack.

"I'm hungry, mommy." Zoe said.

"Okay, honey, what do you want for lunch?" Cuddy asked, helping Zoe put her bag on her back.

"Pizza. Can Uncle House come too?" Zoe asked hopefully.

"I think Uncle House is busy, sweetie." Cuddy said, looking at House.

"Yeah, since _I _spent my entire morning babysitting _your_ spawn." House said sourly as he popped a vicodin into his mouth.

"You slept the entire morning." Cuddy said.

"Please, Uncle House?" Zoe asked sweetly.

"Tell you what, Lucifer, how about you bring me back a slice, okay?" House suggested.

"Okay." Zoe said, hugging House's waist before she left his office with her mother.

House made sure that they were out of sight before he took a second look at that picture the little cretin colored. That kid really didn't know how to stay in the lines, House thought as he refolded the picture delicately before placing it back into his pocket.

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_A/N: I thought that it was cute, I would really appreciate your reviews though. TBC?_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Funnest chapter I've ever written. Enjoy._

_Disclaimer: See chapter one.

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"What the hell is that?" Cuddy asked, looking at the piece of equipment in her drive way.

"Language, Cuddy, there are little ears present." House said, nodding towards Zoe.

"What does it do?" Zoe asked.

"It's only the coolest bike in the history of bikes, it's called the Green Machine." House said.

"There is no way my daughter is riding that." Cuddy said firmly.

"Oh relax, Cuddy, I got her a helmet." House said, holding up a pink helmet.

"It doesn't look like a bike." Zoe said, skeptically looking up at House.

"That's because it's better than a regular bike. These two levers spin the back wheels." House said, sure to turn around and look at Cuddy's face, which was priceless.

"House, she's only four." Cuddy said, protectively pulling Zoe closer to her.

"Jeez Cuddy, cut the umbilical cord already." House said, scoring one of those Cuddy glares that he loved so much.

"Mommy, can I ride it?" Zoe asked.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, honey." Cuddy said, smoothing a stray curl back behind Zoe's ear.

"Please, please, please?" Zoe begged.

Cuddy looked over at House who nodded back at her.

"Okay, but you have to wear your helmet." Cuddy said.

Zoe nodded and handed her mother the pink helmet to strap under her chin.

"This better be safe." Cuddy said through gritted teeth.

"I think she'll be okay, you know, with us both being doctors." House said.

"How does it work?" Zoe asked anxiously.

"Okay, well you start pedaling then you pull one of these levers back which rotates the two back wheels and the entire bike spins around." House said, trying to demonstrate as best he could without being on the actual bike.

"Can I try it now?" Zoe asked.

"Go for it." House said.

"She's barely tall enough to reach the pedals." Cuddy said.

"So?" House asked, watching Zoe pedal the bike to the end of the drive way.

"She's too small." Cuddy said.

"She's fine, quit worrying so much." House said. "Go, Zoe!" He yelled, signaling for her to begin pedaling down the drive way.

"I'm scared." Zoe yelled back towards House.

Cuddy started up the drive way to collect her scared child when House limped past her, only saying "I've got it." She rolled her eyes but went to Zoe anyways.

"What's the problem?" House asked.

"It's too scary." Zoe said, looking down to the garage. It was barely a hill, but to a four-year-old on a new bike, it had to be the scariest thing in the world.

"What's it gonna take?" House asked.

"Will you do it?" Zoe asked.

"Sweetie, I don't think that Uncle House ca--" Cuddy started.

"Get up, munchkin." House said, motioning her upwards.

"House!" Cuddy said.

House painfully took his seat on the Green Machine, but not before popping a few vicodin.

"Wait!" Zoe said, freeing the pink helmet from her own head and placing it on House's.

"Safety first." Cuddy giggled.

"Watch and learn." House said before he began to peddle down the drive way and turn a complete 360 in Cuddy's garage.

"You are insane." Cuddy said as she and Zoe joined him in the garage.

"Someone jealous? There's always my lap, Cuddy." House said, patting his good leg.

"Can I do it now?" Zoe asked.

House nodded his head, accepting Cuddy's hand for a help up.

"I need my helmet back, Uncle House." Zoe said.

"Here you go." House said, lifting the unstrapped pink helmet off of his head and strapping it onto Zoe's smaller one.

Zoe pedaled back to the end of the drive way only to turn around and more confidently pedal a little faster towards the garage. Last second, she squeezed her eyes shut and pulled the right lever. She felt herself spin around and she felt the painful scraping of skin off of her elbow, and then her mother's arms pick her up.

"You okay?" House asked Zoe nonchalantly as he followed Cuddy rush inside.

"I shouldn't of let her ride on that stupid bike." Cuddy said, sitting Zoe on the counter and getting the first aid kit out of the cabinet.

"She just got a little boo boo, it's bound to happen." House said, rolling his eyes.

"Where does it hurt?" Cuddy asked.

"My elbow." Zoe sniffled.

Cuddy rolled Zoe's sleeve up to find a small scrape that could easily be repaired with a band aid.

"Mommy, can I have the Cinderella one?" Zoe asked, referring to the box of band aids her mother was opening.

"Sure, baby." Cuddy said, trying to tell which band aid to choose from though the paper.

Zoe held her arm up and let her mother swab the scrape with alcohol, cover it with the Cinderella band aid, and seal it with a kiss.

"Better?" Cuddy asked.

Zoe nodded. "Uncle House has to kiss it too." Zoe said, holding her elbow up to the diagnostician.

"Do you have any idea how many germs are on your elbow?" House asked.

"Mommy did it." Zoe said.

"Because she has those warm fuzzy feelings for you." House said.

"Please?" Zoe asked in that cute little voice.

House rolled his eyes before giving Zoe a quick kiss on the elbow.

"Thanks, Uncle House." Zoe said before jumping back into Cuddy's arms. "Mommy, can I go play some more with the Green Machine?" Zoe asked.

Cuddy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You want to do it again?" She asked.

Zoe nodded her head. "I want to do it like Uncle Greg." Zoe said.

"You don't have to." Cuddy said.

"I want to." Zoe said.

"Alright." Cuddy said.

"Get the camera, Cuddles. I am determined to have this kid spin a full circle." House said.

Cuddy gave him the signature eyeroll but went to get her camera anyways.

"Come on, Zoe." House said, leading her outside. "Zoe and the Green Machine, take two." House said, pushing her to the top to the hill, a bit awkwardly with his limp. "You ready?" He asked.

"Uh-huh." Zoe said, adjusting her helmet a little tighter.

"Okay, stick it, kid." House said, giving her a little push.

Just like before, only minus the fall, Zoe squeezed her eyes shut and spun completely around on the bike. When she opened her eyes, she was facing her mother.

"Did you see me?" Zoe asked excitedly as she spun the bike around and pedaled back up the drive way.

"I did." House said, patting the top of her helmet affectionately.

"Mommy, did you see me?" Zoe called.

"I did, baby, you were great." Cuddy called back.

"Get up." House said, motioning her upward again.

"You're going to do it again?" Zoe asked.

"Yeah." House said, painfully settling himself in the seat. "Alright, hop on." House said, patting his lap.

"House, what are you doing?" Cuddy yelled.

"Wave at mommy." House said as he began to pedal forward.

Zoe squeezed her eyes shut again until the bike came to a halt and once that happened her mother was picking her off of House.

"God, House, if you wanna be a complete idiot go ahead but don't include Zoe." Cuddy said angrily.

"She's completely safe, calm down. You did record that, right?" House asked.

"Yes." Cuddy said.

"That enough for today, kiddo?" House asked.

Zoe nodded her head against her mom's shoulder.

"I'll see you tomorrow." House said, parking the Green Machine in the garage and getting onto his own bike to speed away.

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_A/N: If you have ever ridden a Green Machine, you totally know how much fun it is, if not, youtube it and ask for one from Santa. **Review**, please. :]_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: I got my first speeding ticket last night! 68 in a 55 zone, needless to say, my parents are pissed. I don't know how frequent my updates are going to be after they get finished with me. Whatever, fuck them._

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"How was she?" Cuddy asked, tucking away a stray curl on Zoe's face back behind her ear.

"Passed out twenty minutes after you left, I'd say she's down for the night. I would ask how the meeting went, but I don't really care." House said.

"It was boring, thanks for asking." Cuddy said, carefully putting Zoe's jacket on her sleeping form.

"I'm sure I'll hear all about it from Wilson, they're the highlight of his weeks." House said.

"Well thanks for watching her." Cuddy said, gathering Zoe up into her arms to carry her out to her car.

"I'll walk you out." House said, opening the door.

"Thanks." Cuddy said, readjusting Zoe on her hip as he opened the main door to the side walk.

Cuddy opened the back car door skillfully while balancing her sleeping four-year-old on her side and strapped Zoe in her car seat carefully. House watched, a bit in a daze, he knew that Cuddy would make a great mother but he didn't expect her to be so natural at it. Cuddy shut the door and turned back to face House.

"You're really great at that, you know?" House asked.

"Thanks." Cuddy said gratefully.

Her soft, pink lips must have just made him lose control but they just looked so inviting. He leant forward and let his rough ones crash into hers. She didn't fight back at all, she fell back into the same rhythm they had down back in college and her hands found the familiar spot in his hair as the kiss deepened. He subconsciously pushed her into her car and held her there until he ran out of breath, his forehead resting against hers as he regained his composure.

"Why did you do that?" Cuddy asked angrily.

"I could ask you the same thing." House said.

"What did I do?" Cuddy asked, still angry.

"Why do you push me away?" House asked, now in the same tone.

"I'm doing what any sane person would do after practically being jumped on the sidewalk." Cuddy said.

"You're doing what any scared person would do." House corrected.

"I'm not scared." Cuddy said.

"Then kiss me." House challenged.

Cuddy stood on her tiptoes and let her lips barely make contact with his.

"Like an adult, we're not in Junior High." House said.

Cuddy rolled her eyes and gave him a simple "No."

"You can't, here, watch." House said, bringing his head down and trapping her into a passionate kiss.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Cuddy asked just as angrily as before.

"Because I like you." House said simply.

Cuddy raised an eyebrow.

"And you like me too, and this could go somewhere." House said slowly.

"It could?" Cuddy asked.

"You check on your nanny every thirty minutes but you have no problem dropping the spawn off here for a five-hour board meeting, in my drug and booze infested apartment, I might add." House said.

"I trust you." Cuddy said.

"And that's exactly why this is going somewhere." House said.

"And why didn't it work out in the first place?" Cuddy asked.

"Lisa..." House sighed, closing his eyes.

"Exactly." Cuddy said, turning her heel and heading to the driver's seat of her car.

House wasted no time sitting in the passenger seat before she locked her car.

"What are you doing?" Cuddy asked.

"I'm chasing you." House said.

Cuddy rolled her eyes and drove towards her house.

"Barenaked Ladies?" House asked as he inserted the CD into the player.

"What?" Cuddy asked.

"Nothing." House said, flipping around the tracks.

"What are you doing?" Cuddy repeated.

"I told you that I'm chasing you." House said.

"Why?" Cuddy asked.

"Because it's something that I should have done a long time ago, better late than never, right, boss?" House asked.

"What do you mean a long time ago?" Cuddy asked.

"I mean, I shouldn't of left." House said, letting his hand rest on her thigh.

"It was for the best." Cuddy said.

"No, it wasn't." House dismissed as he finally made eye contact with her.

As much as Cuddy wanted to acknowledge what he had just said, she couldn't. "Now that your done chasing me, you can call a cab." Cuddy said, putting the car into park. House sighed as she exited the vehicle to round the other side to unstrap Zoe from her car seat and carry the sleeping child inside. Cuddy didn't even bother closing the door, she knew that he would be following her inside. Cuddy took her time changing Zoe into her pajamas and tucking her in, knowing that House was to be waiting on her living room couch.

Indeed, House was sitting on her living room couch flipping through one of Zoe's children's books that had been on the coffee table.

"Coffee?" She asked, strolling into the living room.

"It can wait." House said, pulling her on to the sofa next to him.

"Greg!" Cuddy squeaked upon being pulled practically on his lap.

"I want this, so quit resisting so much." House said, laying a kiss on her exposed shoulder.

"What am I supposed to do? This can't be one of your mind games, it took me a while to recover from the last one and I won't let you do that to Zoe." Cuddy said seriously.

"Firstly, I wouldn't do that to Zoe. Secondly, that last one that you're referring to, was never a mind game." House said, letting the kisses trail up her neck.

"House." She warned half-heartedly

"I thought that it was Greg." House said, his hands beginning to feel Cuddy up.

"Greg!" Cuddy squealed.

"That's better." House said, laying her back on the couch before he started to fumble with her top.

"Greg, upstairs." Cuddy said, well ordered.

House grabbed her hand as she led him slowly up the stairs. They crashed onto Cuddy's bed as practically one, their kisses were so fervent. Wasting no time, House threw off her top and started to work on that ridiculously tight skirt she paraded around in. Something about Lisa Cuddy in nothing but a matching set of a bra and undies was almost as good as her being totally naked, almost. Cuddy refused to let him be in the lead, tearing off his blazer and working on the buttons of his shirt she mumbled into his mouth, "you layer more than a damn woman." House started on the undies before she stopped him.

"I think you forgot the rules." Cuddy said, smirking.

"Seriously?" House asked, remembering this routine from their sexcapades in college.

"Just three words." Cuddy said, shifting underneath him.

"I want you." House offered.

"Nope." Cuddy said, kissing his neck.

He groaned. "Alright, alright, I love you." House said.

"You mean it?" Cuddy asked, looking up at him.

"I mean it." House said, kissing her inviting lips and he knew that he was hers. For the good or the bad, it didn't matter, he gloriously belonged to Lisa Cuddy.

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_A/N: Bam! That just happened. **Review!** :]_


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Warning, 2 weeks after! Okay, that's all. I hope you enjoy.

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It had been two weeks since that night he'd chased her, since then House had sleeping over quite often. It hadn't been talked about yet, but it was only a matter of time before Cuddy pinned him down and demanded to know where this was going. Until then, Cuddy had taken a certain liking to having House drop Zoe off at her newest extra-curricular activity. No matter how many times House had promised himself that he would never ever sit through a dance recital, he found himself taking Zoe to the lessons, only to ensure him an uncomfortable seat in front of a bunch of dancing kids.

"Uncle House, is mommy coming to watch me practice?" Zoe asked, swinging her Uncle House's arm as she skipped up the sidewalk to the studio.

"I'm going to stay and watch you and then you tell mommy all about it." House said, opening the door of the studio.

"I want mommy to come and watch." Zoe pouted.

"I know." House said as he removed Zoe's dance shoes out of her bag.

Zoe stripped down to her leotard and hand House her pants and sweater to stuff into her bag.

"Are you really going to watch?" Zoe asked.

"Yes." House said.

"You promise?" Zoe asked, handing him a hair bow.

House rolled his eyes and wondered how he got himself into this position. "I promise." House said as he gathered her curly hair into a ponytail.

"Come on, Zoe." A dance instructor called, motioning Zoe over to the mat to start stretching.

Zoe smiled up at House before she skipped off to the mat, leaving him with her girlie pink dance bag and a set of bleachers full of anxious parents.

"Hi." A really annoying guy in a suit asked.

House nodded in his direction, but didn't go out of his way to invite conversation.

"That's my daughter, Caitlin." The guy said, pointing to a little girl in a pink leotard with blonde hair. "Which one is yours?"

"Zoe." House said, pointing out Zoe on the mat.

"I'm Andrew Curtis." Andrew said, sliding down to join House on the row that he was seated on.

House rolled his eyes at his new found buddy. "Greg House." House said.

"My wife makes me come to at least one of these a week. You married?" Andrew asked.

"No." House said.

"Good for you, divorced?" Andrew asked.

"No." House said.

"What do you do?" Andrew asked.

"I'm a doctor." House said.

"You know, I have this mole..." Andrew started, and House thanked God for the vibration he felt in his coat pocket.

"Excuse me." House said as he opened his phone. "Hello?"

"What are you doing?" Wilson asked.

"I'm at Zoe's dance class." House said.

"Seriously?" Wilson asked.

"Lisa's in a meeting and she asked me to drop her off." House explained.

"Lisa?" Wilson asked.

"That's her name, right?" House asked, he could practically see Wilson's thick eyebrow raised in surprise.

"What time are you getting home?" Wilson asked.

"I'm not sure." House said.

"I picked up a pizza." Wilson said.

"I promised the runt that I'd take her out for dinner." House lied.

"Are you coming home?" Wilson asked.

"Hey man, I think your kid's sick." Andrew said, tapping House on the shoulder.

"I gotta go." House said, closing his cell phone and limping over to where Zoe was placed with a trash bag.

"I want my mommy." Zoe said in between heaves.

"I know, here, let's put on your clothes." House said in his most soothing voice as he unpacked her sweater and jeans from her bag.

Quickly, Zoe put her clothes over her leotard and climbed up into House's arms. House held Zoe close and accepted a few trash bags from the dance instructor to take on the ride home.

"We'll be there soon." House said, sitting Zoe in her car seat.

"Will mommy be at home?" Zoe asked.

"I'm going to call her and let her know that you're sick, she'll be home as soon as she can." House said.

"I want my mommy!" Zoe began to cry in the backseat.

"I know you do, kiddo, I'm here." House offered.

"You're not my mommy!" Zoe cried harder.

"Quit crying, you're going to make yourself sick." House said.

"I'm already sick!" Zoe threw back at him, quite moodily.

"Your first snarky retort, I'm so proud." House mumbled to himself, inwardly cringing at the thought of her teenage years and then cringed again at the thought of a thought about her teenage years. "Alright, Princess of Puke, we're here." House said, parking the car in the drive way and carrying her inside.

Zoe sighed a tired sigh as House pulled the her blankets around her.

"I feel a little better." Zoe said.

"There's a waste basket here in case you get si--" House tried before he, himself, puked into the waste basket.

"Eww!" Zoe squealed, hiding herself under the covers.

"You've got to be kidding me." Cuddy said, making her appearance known from the door frame.

"Your little parasite infected me." House said weakly.

"Get out of here before you make her sick again." Cuddy said, pulling House up from his position by Zoe's waste basket.

House rolled his eyes and made his way to Cuddy's room to sprawl out on to her bed, smirking as he heard the sound of Lysol being sprayed out of the can.

"Here." Cuddy said, handing him some medicine for his nausea and a glass of water. Then she went about spraying the room and sitting a waste basket by his bedside.

"You know that smell is making me sick." House said, referring to the Lysol.

"You're lucky I'm even taking care of you." Cuddy said tiredly.

"I know." House said.

* * *

A/N: I didn't know how to pick up right after they slept together so I picked where ever this started! Sorry, but I'll probably do something where Zoe finds them in an awkward position. Everyone like today's episode? I did! :D


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Skipped around to the recital, House and Cuddy still aren't an established couple, but you'll find that Wilson obviously knows. Threw in a date for Wilson :D Enjoy!

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_

Indeed House did find himself seated in a large auditorium with Cuddy to his left and Wilson and his date to his right watching a line of four-year-old girls attempt to remember the steps of a simple dance routine. In addition to watching them, for the most part, fail miserably at it, he had to listen to a god-awful song entitled 'Baby Duck'. At least Zoe was the best in her class, that was a bit of a comfort. He looked over at Cuddy, who had her video camera glued to the side of her hand and he realized that Zoe could have been on stage asleep and Cuddy would still be beaming. At last, it was the end of the longest three and a half minutes of his life and the girls were finally making their way off stage, and Zoe had to take this opportune moment to completely hold up the line and wave to them happily, earning her an 'aww' from most of the auditorium.

"She is so cute!" Wilson's date, Mindy or Mandy, said.

"Yeah." House said, rolling his eyes. Of course he couldn't give Cuddy a shy kid or a loner, he had to give her the one kid that could adore ever person in this large auditorium. And of course he would be the only person in the world that felt like a total idiot for waving back at the little sadist, the kid was domesticating him the more he was around her.

After her recital was over, Cuddy went to collect Zoe from backstage while House saved her seat. Though he had a strong urge give their seats away to any of the people standing along the rows because he had no interest in watching any of the rest of the recitals, but he knew that Cuddy would only make him stay for the rest of the recitals just to spite him. Cuddy returned shortly with Zoe hanging onto her hand dressed in a fluffy yellow tutu.

"Did you watch me?" Zoe asked excitedly.

"Yeah." House said in an unimpressed tone.

"You were great, Zoe." Wilson said, being the golden boy uncle that he was.

"You didn't like it?" Zoe asked House, obviously more concerned with his opinion that Wilson's.

House noticed Cuddy glaring at him before he answered, so he chose his words carefully. "It was the best four-year-old 'Baby Duck' recital that I've ever seen." House said truthfully, since this was the only four-year-old 'Baby Duck' recital that he'd ever seen, thank god.

"Really?" Zoe asked, carefully climbing into his lap, avoiding his bad leg.

"Really." House confirmed, nodding his head.

"Did you think that I was the best one?" Zoe asked, raising her little eyebrow, as if telling him that it was dangerous territory. She could be such a mini-Cuddy when she wanted, she probably just knew it was the only way to get what she wanted when it came to working with House.

"The very best." House said, fluffing her little ego. He smiled at the thought of Zoe having an ego, of course she would have an even bigger ego the more she grew, especially if he had any more to do with her upbringing. He wasn't sure if that was healthy or not but then again, he wasn't really sure that he cared.

"Okay." Zoe said, satisfied with his answers, she rested her head on his shoulder.

House looked over at Wilson, who was staring at him in awe.

"Jealous because now your not going to get laid?" House whispered so that only he and Wilson could hear.

"Oh and you are?" Wilson asked.

"Watch this." House said.

House looked down a little at Zoe, her eyes had long since fluttered shut at the sound of the harmonic music coming from the speakers. He smoothed back a lock of hair that was in her face back behind her ear and planted a tender kiss on her temple.

Wilson watched the whole act and wasn't sure what House was doing that he couldn't, then he noticed how lovingly Cuddy was looking at the both of them. Of course House would find a way of using Zoe to get what he wanted out of Cuddy, the man was an hidden agenda genius.

"Yeah, I think so." House said, looking back at Wilson.

"Let me see her." Wilson said.

"No way, you'll just wake her with all of that drooling you're doing over Melanie." House said.

"It's Maggie." Wilson corrected.

"Whatever." House dismissed.

"Come on, House." Wilson all but begged.

"No." House said.

"Why not?" Wilson asked.

"I already told you why, you'll just wake her up." House said, determined not to let Wilson have Zoe.

"I guess I'll just have to mention to Cuddy that you were the one that broke the portable MRI." Wilson said.

House's eyes had widened, he'd gone over a week without any suspicion from Cuddy about the portable MRI, and he was going to keep it that way.

"Here." House said, handing Zoe over to Wilson.

Maggie looked over just as Zoe had been settled on Wilson comfortably.

"Is she asleep?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah, she just wouldn't sit still when she was sitting with House." Wilson said, feeling the glare coming from House on the back of his head. Though just as he said it, Zoe's little head lifted up from Wilson's shoulder. She looked up at Wilson and then over at House, she didn't say anything as she climbed back into House's lap and watched the rest of the recital silently sitting still.

"Way to look like a total dumb ass." House said to Wilson, who was now focusing on the current recital.

"Shut up." Wilson said.

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_A/N: That was kind of light and uneventful but I wanted to throw Wilson in here sometime soon because I think that everybody just loves Wilson. And if you don't, then what is wrong with you? He's Wilson!_


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Whoa! It's been a while. I'm really sorry for taking so long and I hope the ending makes up for my slackness. ;)_

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House sat very pleased on the couch waiting for that day's earlier episode of General Hospital to begin, thank god for the soap network.

"Okay, ground rules." House started very seriously as the credits started to roll.

"I know, I know." Cuddy said, rolling her eyes.

"No talking until the commercials, no squirming around, and no asking dumb questions." House recited.

"What constitutes a dumb question?" Cuddy asked, smirking.

"That was a dumb question." House said, turning the TV on.

They were fifteen minutes into the show when Zoe walked into the living room and climbed into Cuddy's lap.

"Mommy, I can't sleep." Zoe said.

"You can't?" Cuddy asked, brushing back a few of Zoe's tousled curls.

"Shh!" House shot towards the girls.

Cuddy laughed as Zoe shifted closer to her mom, much to House's dismay.

"Mommy, what are we watching?" Zoe asked just before the show broke for commercials.

"Your kid just broke all three rules." House said.

"Rules for what?" Zoe asked.

"Rules for something very important, runt. Why don't you go read yourself a bedtime story or something?" House asked.

"Because I can't read." Zoe said, crossing her little arms.

"Maybe you should go try." House said.

"Come on, Greg, it'll probably bore her death anyway." Cuddy said.

House rolled his eyes and checked his watch. "You aren't allowed to talk until the commercials, not even to your mommy, you can't squirm around the couch, and you can't ask dumb questions." House said.

"What's a dumb question?" Zoe asked.

House smirked up at Cuddy. "Just watch, you'll be fine." He said.

Within ten minutes Zoe was fast asleep in Cuddy's lap.

"Bed time." House said, rising from the couch almost half an hour later.

"Is it over?" Cuddy asked, glancing at the screen.

"Yeah, another piece to the puzzle." House said happily.

"I'm going to put her to bed." Cuddy said, standing up with Zoe.

"Great, then we can have post General Hospital sex." House said.

Cuddy laughed as she entered Zoe's room, of course he would suggest that when she was holding her sleeping daughter.

"What's sex?" Zoe asked in a confused tone.

Cuddy's eyes must have tripled in size at the sight of her suddenly awake or the sound of her four-year-old child asking her what sex was.

"Uhh...well, sweetie, it something that adults do after kids go to sleep." Cuddy explained.

"Like what?" Zoe asked.

"Like exchanging body fluids that usually result in little nuisances like you, but thank god that those kinds of things can be prevented." House said from the doorway.

"What?" Zoe asked.

"Honey, do you really want to question what comes out of Uncle House's mouth?" Cuddy asked, smiling down at Zoe.

"Nope." Zoe said, shaking her head.

"That's what I thought. Goodnight, sweetie. I'll see you in the morning." Cuddy said, giving her daughter a kiss on the forehead.

"Goodnight, mommy. Goodnight, Uncle House. " Zoe said, holding out her arms for House to come and tell her goodnight.

House rolled his eyes just like he did every other time the parasite did this in her mother's company.

"Good night, Lucifer." House said, rubbing his stubble on her soft cheek before kissing it, leaving Zoe giggling.

"Will someone stay to read me a story?" Zoe asked.

"You've already had a story, sweetheart." Cuddy said.

"I'll stay." House said.

"Short story." Cuddy said as she left.

"Yes, mom." House said, smiling as Zoe giggled.

"Can we read an I SPY book?" Zoe asked.

"That's not really reading." House said.

"But it's a book, and mommy said a short one. We can only do two pages." Zoe pleaded.

"Only two pages, and I'm not going to do that whole nonsense where I wait around for you to find something first." House said.

"Okay." Zoe said, retrieving her book from one her book shelves.

House opened the book to a page one. "Okay, this one is easy. Spot the red train." He said.

"Right there." Zoe said pointing to a red train at the corner of the page.

"Find the yellow air plane." House said, not even looking at the page.

"It's right...there." Zoe said, finally finding the airplane close to the spine of the book.

It went on like that for a few minutes before Zoe asked for his help on finding a white dove.

"I can't find the dove." Zoe said, staring up at House.

"Look to the right of the blue yo-yo." House said, glancing down at the page.

"Found it." Zoe said, pointing her little finger at the small picture of a dove.

"Okay, now it's bed time." House said, getting up from her small bed and putting away the book on it's respected shelf with the others.

"Okay." Zoe sighed.

"Good night, kiddo." House said, tucking the blanket around her small frame.

"Good night, daddy." Zoe said, flipping over.

House's eyes widened, he certainly wasn't expecting this, well not now. She just called him daddy, shit. This brought him back to point A, kids don't go with Gregory House. They're germy, noisy, and whiny; there was no room for a kid in his life. But apparently, he had made room, otherwise Zoe wouldn't have had the nerve to call him of all people daddy, he reasoned. He stood by her bed for another moment internally battling over why she just called him daddy before he noticed that he was smiling. He was smiling, smiling at his worst nightmare. Wordlessly, he left the room, turning off the over head light and switching on her night light. The cold-hearted, pessimistic Gregory House had just been referred to as someones daddy and he liked it.

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_A/N: Yay! Finally, Zoe makes the first move. Please **REVIEW**! :D_


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I saw a little girl that reminded me of 'Zoe Cuddy' today and I decided to jump on the 8th chapter. It's kind of short because I didn't really know what to say without it being way out of character. So I quit while I was ahead. ")

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the House, MD characters. Only Zoe, much love, girl.

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Zoe was a very fashionable child, everything in her four-year-old wardrobe was exclusive. Even her play clothes were vogue. House noticed this as he walked into her little sanctuary and all of it was strewn across her room. Cuddy stood in the corner with her hands on her hips obviously running late.

"Mommmy! Help me find it!" Zoe yelled from her closet, where the clothes just kept piling up.

"Zoe, I've tried helping you. Can't you wear the purple dress? Mommy's going to be late for work." Cuddy sighed, closing her eyes.

"You're the boss!" Zoe said matter-of-factly. "And it has to be the red dress!" She said, like nobody was listening to her.

"What's the problem?" House asked, making his appearance known.

"My fashioniesta cannot wear anything else today but her red and black-plaid dress." Cuddy said, checking Zoe's bottom drawer, yet again.

"Gotcha!" Zoe's cry was heard from the back of her closet. "Mommy, I found it." She said sweetly.

"Thank God." Cuddy said. Finally she could start dressing Zoe for preschool.

"Daddy will you look for my boots? The black ones?" Zoe asked, jumping on her bed as her mother went through her sock drawer on a quest for black tights.

"Sure." House said slowly, letting the moment serenade him.

Cuddy looked over at him astonishingly and Zoe watched the two from such great heights as she jumped up and down.

"Zoe!" Cuddy finally snapped.

"What?" Zoe asked as she landed on her bottom smoothly and rolled out of her bed.

"Please don't jump on your bed." Cuddy said a bit more gently.

"I won't." Zoe said, knowing that it wasn't the only reason she was reprimanded.

"Did you find them, daddy?" Zoe asked, testing her mother.

Cuddy had finally found a pair of black tights when Zoe said it again. What was wrong with Zoe? What was wrong with House? Was she dreaming? Of course she wanted House to be Zoe's father, but it would have been nice to know of this new found father-daughter relationship.

"I'm working on it, kiddo." House said, digging around the floor of her closet.

Cuddy put the tights on her daughter and looked at her questioningly. Zoe returned a big smile. "Mommy, I love you." She said.

"I love you too, sweetie." Cuddy said, smiling and straightening Zoe's dress.

"And I love _daddy_ too." Zoe said, hoping that her mother would notice the difference between today and yesterday.

"Did something happen between you two last night?" Cuddy finally asked.

"Yes! Uncle House is my daddy now." Zoe said simply.

"Is he?" Cuddy asked, looking skeptically at House, who was sheepishly smiling as he brought Zoe her boots.

"Yep. And you guys are going to get married. And I 'll be dressed like Barbie and I'll throw flowers everywhere. And then mommy is going to have a baby sister. I'm going to name her Kelly because Barbie's little sister's name is Kelly, but we're going to have brown hair because blonde hair will look stupid on me. It looks stupid on Carson, she's in my class and I hate her because she ripped all of the paper off of my crayons..." Zoe rambled.

Cuddy was floored by the first of her sentences, obviously the child had done some planning. And House...House was just smiling down at Zoe. It made her heart melt and lips stretch across her face.

"...mommy, we're going to be late!" Zoe said, running from her room as if time mattered now.

"So..." House started.

Cuddy just grinned at him, she could tell that Zoe already had him tightly around her little finger.

"You love Zoe." She said.

"Well, yeah." He said, as if 'Duh!' should follow it.

"Are you sure about being her father?" She asked.

"Uh-huh." He said. "I was thinking that we could do this whole family unit thing. We could even get a dog...but not a cat." He said.

"Okay." Cuddy said slowly.

"Don't act so surprised Cuddy, we both knew we'd end up here, just in the most unconventional way possible." He said.

"I love you." Cuddy said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Mommmmmmmmy!" Zoe cried from downstairs.

"Take the spawn to school." House said lovingly.

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A/N: Sooooooo? What did ya think? Puhleese review. Much love, readers!


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